Nextiva vs Grasshopper: Which one is the best for your business?

October 10, 2023
phone system for small business

Experience the ultimate duel: Nextiva vs. Grasshopper. Determine the best phone system for your business. Let the duel commence!

Nextiva is a secure communication platform for businesses wanting to upgrade from traditional PBX systems. It uses VoIP technology to empower businesses to make and receive voice and video calls and exchange messages from a local or toll-free phone number. Nextiva services can be accessed through applications for desktop and mobile devices, a web browser extension or IP deskphones. Along with communication, Nextiva eases processes by offering additional services such as contact management, voicemail and auto attendants. These services are bundled into 3 business communication plans and 4 contact center plans.

Moving to the opposite corner, we have Grasshopper: Your path to professionalism within budget. Tailored for entrepreneurs and small businesses, it offers unlimited USA and Canada calls/texts, call queue management, extensions, and more. Plans depend on phone and extension numbers.

Compare Nextiva and Grasshopper plans and features

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For small teams, it's Grasshopper that has the advantage but for the large teams, Nextiva has the clear advantage

Nextiva’s quick start plan known as the Essential plan is priced at $30.95 per user per month for 4-member teams. Per user subscription reduces for larger teams. This includes unlimited voice and video calling as well as voicemail access, call recording and contact management. For a per user monthly subscription of $35.95, businesses with small teams can upgrade to the Nextiva Professional plan. This includes all the basic features as well as conference calls for up to 40 participants, multi-level auto attendants and Salesforce/HubSpot integrations. Upgrading to the Nextiva Enterprise plan will cost you a monthly subscription ranging from $39.95 to 45.95 per user depending on the team size. This plan includes all the features of the other 2 plans as well as exclusive features such as call recording, CRM integration and conference calls with unlimited participants.
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Nextiva plans start from a higher rate as compared to Grasshopper. Entrepreneurs can find value in the Grasshopper True Solo and Solo Plus plans. For a mere $16 per month, the True Solo subscription opens the door to a range of services accessible through 1 extension (or 3 with Solo Plus). Businesses requiring more extensions can upgrade to the Partner plan, which encompasses 3 phone numbers and 6 extensions. Selecting the Small Business plan grants subscribers access to 5 phone numbers along with unlimited extensions.
phone system for small business

A step-by-step comparison between Nextiva and Grasshopper

To help you find what solution fits best your need between Zoom Phone and Ringcentral, we have conducted an unbiased comparison based on 8 criterias:
#1 Manage your office calls : How will you handle calls while at the office? Can you use computer-based calls or do you require an office phone?
#2 Manage your calls on the go: Does it offer a mobile app with VoIP calls? Do you need to set up call forwarding to your mobile device?
#3 Auto-attendant : Can you easily distribute calls to your team?
#4 Greetings Management : Can you set up company greetings on your own? How easy is it to create and manage announcements?
#5 Call Tracking : How easy is it to monitor your business calls?
#6 Call recording : Can you record and listen to calls?
#7 Call billing : How much does it cost to make and receive calls? Is everything included?
#8 Activation : How easy is it to activate a phone number and set up your phone system?
COMPARE
  • Manage Your Office Calls
  • Manage Your Calls On The Go
  • Auto-attendant
  • Greetings Management
  • Call Tracking
  • Call recording
  • Call billing
  • Activation

#1 Manage Your Office Calls

Multiple options for in-office connectivity from both service providers

Nextiva subscribers can make and receive calls through a desktop app, web browser or IP deskphone.

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Similar to Nextiva, businesses subscribing to Grasshopper can access their services through a desktop app.

phone system for small business

#2 Manage Your Calls On The Go

Nextiva and Grasshopper mobile applications keep you connected on the go

Voice and video calls can be made and received through Android and iOS devices.

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In the case of both Nextiva and Grasshopper, incoming and outgoing calls can be handled through a mobile app for all smartphones.

phone system for small business

#3 Auto-attendant

Nextiva's auto attendants vs Grasshopper's Ruby Receptionist services

Nextiva offers an automated answering service to direct inbound calls to the right agent based on caller keystroke responses. This service is included in all Nextiva plan but the Professional and Enterprise plan subscribers get an added benefit of unlimited sub menus.

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Unlike Nextiva plans that include call routing options, an optional Ruby receptionist service add-on pack is available to Grasshopper subscribers.

phone system for small business

#4 Greetings Management

Option to record custom greeting by both Grasshopper and Nextiva

Welcome messages for the auto attendant routing incoming calls can be customized as per your business profile. Customized greetings must be recorded in 8 or 16 bit .wav files to be uploaded. 1. Login to the Nextiva website with admin account. 2. Click on Sites and navigate to auto attendant. 3. Click on Greetings. 4. Click on the upload button to browse through your computer files and upload the new recording.

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Nextiva and Grasshopper take similar approaches to customized greetings. Greetings can be customized by recording it through a call or the computer microphone, uploading a recorded message or having the message voiced and recorded professionally.

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#5 Call Tracking

Grasshopper gains the advantage for call metrics

Nextiva does not give subscribers a way to listen to live calls but there are still options available to assess call quality and agent productivity. Essential and Professional plan supervisors can read call history and call log files. In addition to this, Enterprise plan users can also record calls and read voicemail transcriptions. This allows them to follow up on calls that are received or that agents are unable to answer.

phone system for small business

Nextiva and Grasshopper have similar approaches to call monitoring. Live call monitoring is not included but agents do have the option of forwarding calls to supervisors if they require assistance. Understanding that not all calls can be taken by agents, those sent to voicemail have their messages transcribed. These transcribed messages are sent through email so that agents can respond faster. Grasshopper also includes reports on call analytics such as average call duration, call type, etc. to assess team productivity.

phone system for small business

#6 Call Recording

Nextiva gets an edge over Grasshopper for the availability of call recording even if it is only for the upgraded plan

Subscribers to the Nextiva Essential and Professional plans cannot record calls from the dashboard. This is a feature available exclusively with the Enterprise plan. Call recording can be manually controlled or automated. The recordings can be access for 6 months after they have been saved.

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When it comes to call recording, Nextiva advanced plan subscribers have an edge over Grasshopper subscribers. Irrespective of which interface calls are made from. Grasshopper subscribers cannot record calls handled by them.

phone system for small business

#7 Call Billing

Location dependent call rates for Nextiva and Grasshopper VoIP service users

If you are making calls to numbers outside the USA and Canada, you should check the per minute rates. All international calls are billed additionally according to a location-specific per minute rate. In some cases, rates may also differ based on operators. For example, calls to a mobile Vodafone number in Australia is billed at a $0.11 per minute rate while calls to Australian Mobile Telstra numbers are billed at a $0.19 rate per minute.

Like Nextiva, Grasshopper plans include calls to certain locations. Grasshopper plans include unlimited calling within the USA and Canada except to numbers in Alaska and Hawaii. Other calls are billed additionally with call duration rounded up to a minute. For example, calls to Rome are billed at a 51¢ per minute rate.

#8 Activation

1. Online account creation for easy administration of Nextiva and Grasshopper services

Businesses can set up their Nextiva accounts from the Nextiva website. The process is quick and simplified by a drag-and-drop call flow builder. Subscribers can customize greetings and call routing menus according to their operating hours and other filters. Once the account has been created, user roles can be defined and users can start making and receiving calls from Nextiva apps installed on their desktops and mobile devices as well as certain IP deskphones.

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Both Nextiva and Grasshopper have comparable account creation processes. Your existing number can be ported to Grasshopper when setting up a new account. Alternatively, you can get a new local or toll-free number. Once the account has been created, user roles can be configured from the dashboard. Services can be accessed through free apps for smartphones, laptops and desktop devices or through a landline phone with a calling card that has been registered and activated.

phone system for small business
All prices indicated are before tax and all information has been taken from the websites of the companies concerned as of 10/10/2023

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